MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2015 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Ward, Blount, Burton, Butler (38th), Clarke, Fillingane, Frazier, Gandy, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jones, Kirby, Lee, Montgomery, Norwood, Simmons (12th)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING MISSISSIPPI HALL OF FAME BELHAVEN BASEBALL COACH HILL DENSON FOR HIS 1,000TH COLLEGIATE VICTORY.
WHEREAS, Belhaven Baseball Coach Hill Denson picked up his 1,000th collegiate victory on March 18, 2015, as the Blazers defeated Tougaloo College 10-0; and
WHEREAS, as the Head Coach at Southern Mississippi, Denson won 471 games in 14 seasons, and Wednesday marked his 532nd victory at Belhaven; and
WHEREAS, "I'm not one for accolades, but this is a special win," Denson said. "I'm incredibly excited, but I'm even more thankful for the people who have been a part of my career to this point"; and
WHEREAS, Denson joins the University of Mobile's Mike Jacobs and William Carey University's Bobby Halford as active coaches in the Southern States Athletic Conference with 1,000 wins. Additionally, Denson is in the Hall of Fame at Belhaven and USM, the Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Mississippi
Sports Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inducted Coach Hill Denson, who posted 12 consecutive winning seasons at the University of Southern Mississippi and led the Golden Eagles to their first-ever NCAA appearance. At the helm of the University of Southern Mississippi Baseball Program, he helped establish USM as a nationally recognized baseball power; and
WHEREAS, prior to his tenure at USM, Coach Denson served as the Director of In-Game Promotions for the Nashville Sounds, then New York Yankees Minor League Baseball Club. He also served as an Assistant Baseball Coach at Vanderbilt University; and
WHEREAS, Coach Denson's high school coaching experience included stints at three Mississippi high schools: Callaway High School, Manhattan High School and Chamberlain-Hunt Military Academy; and
WHEREAS, in the Summer of 2005, he managed The Jackson Senators, an independent Class A professional baseball team and a 95-game schedule in the Central Independent Professional Baseball League; and
WHEREAS, a native of Bay Springs, Mississippi, Hill Denson is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Science Education. He received his Master's degree in School Administration from Mississippi College; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this landmark career achievement by an outstanding coach who is respected by his coaching colleagues and has brought honor to his community, college, university and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Mississippi Hall of Fame Belhaven Baseball Coach Hill Denson for his landmark 1,000th collegiate victory and wish him and his family continued success in all their future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Hill Denson, forwarded to the Board of Trustees of Belhaven University, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.